The Round-Up
FAWPL – Sunday 2nd October
A full fixture list in both the FAWPL Southern and South East Division One this weekend and 2016 moves into October. A new leader in the Southern Division as the race for top spot hots up. In South East Division one there were plenty of goals scored 5 of the 6 results seeing the the winning side sco
FAWPL Southern Division
Coventry United Ladies take over at the top of the FAWPL Southern Division courtesy of goals scored over Tottenham Hotspur Ladies as they started October with a win at home against newly promoted Swindon Town Ladies. It wasn’t until late in the 1st half that the deadlock was broken, Jade Brook finding the target on the 40th minute to send Coventry United Ladies into the lead. Alison Hall struck soon afterwards netting on the 43rd minute to put them 2-0 at half-time. Swindon Town Ladies are adjusting to life in the higher division and aren’t easy to break down, pulled a goal back with 15 minutes left, Samantha Hallsworth getting her name on the scoresheet. Couldn’t find another Coventry with 4 straight league wins in the league following an opening day draw move to the top of the table.
Coventry United Ladies, Jade Brook, pictured here in action against Crystal Palace opened the scoring on Sunday
That is because previous pace setters, Tottenham Hotspur Ladies drop their 1st points of the season after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to C&K Basildon Ladies. The visitors held the advantage at the break, Lily Mellors with the goal inside the opening 15 minutes. Pushing for an equaliser Tottenham found it hard to break down the opposition until the 63rd minute, Riana Soobadoo hitting the ball from distance a low drive that found it’s way into the bottom corner. Stay unbeaten at the start of the season matching Coventry’s record edged off top spot by goals scored.
Charlton Athletic Women are without prolific striker Gemma Shepherd who requires a hip operation to get her back to fitness and playing the game she loves. Has recently set up a Go Fund Me page in order to help raise the £5000 needed for the operation and if you wish to offer a donation you can do so by clicking on the link below.
https://www.gofundme.com/gemsheps
Without Shepherd, 3rd placed Charlton were away this weekend taking on West Ham United Ladies. A goal on 10 minutes from Kit Graham put the visitors in front, held the narrow advantage at half-time, Graham going on to score her 2nd goal in the 2nd half on the 68th minute to see Charlton win 2-0 and join the leading pair on 13 points at the top.
Crystal Palace Ladies continue to enjoy a good start to life in the FAWPL Southern Division since promotion last season in 4th place they were at home at Bromley FC on Sunday taking on Portsmouth FC Ladies who have bolstered their squad with a busy month coming up by signing Brighton trio, Charley Boswell, Lisa Fulgence and Kate Natkiel on loan. The latter starting with Boswell and Fulgence on the bench. Crystal Palace took an early lead Gemma Bryan scoring inside 2 minutes to put them ahead. Extended their lead with 5 minutes to go in the 2nd half Rochelle Shakes with the strike. Couldn’t break the visitors down 2nd half 2-0 the lead until late in the game Portsmouth pulling a goal back in the 90th minute, Sarah Kempson’s goal not enough to get anything from the match, Crystal Palace taking the 3 points putting them 2 points behind the leading trio.
Chasing them all hard with an unbeaten record in the league are Cardiff City Ladies the Welsh side travelling to The Honeycroft on Sunday to play bottom side Queens Park Rangers Ladies still looking for their 1st goal and point of the season. Cardiff City took the lead late in the 2nd half a goal from Cori Williams the advantage at half-time. 2nd half brought some good news fr Queens Park Rangers as they welcomed their captain Elly Maggs back to the action after an injury lay-off coming on as a half-time substitute, that was followed by Alexandra Nord scoring their 1st league goal of the season levelling thing’s up on 49 minutes. Cardiff City came back to finish the 2nd half strongly Kerry Bartlett scoring to put them back into the lead with 20 minutes left. Barlett then went on to complete her hat-trick see Cardiff City win 4-1 to move onto 10 points from 4 played in 5th spot in the table.
FAWPL South East Division One
High scoring wins for all of the sides currently in the top half of the FAWPL South East Division One table. AFC Wimbledon Ladies continue their excellent start to the season the newly promoted side making it 6 wins from 6 with a home win on Sunday against fellow promoted side Stevenage Ladies. A strong 1st half display saw them leading 3-0, Emma Keady setting the ball rolling on 12 minutes. Kelly-Jade Whelan and Hannah Searle both adding to the scoresheet on 35 and 40 minutes. Laura Low adding a 4th goal 15 minutes into the 2nd half saw them in 4-0.
Elsewhere it was carnage in front of goal with the rest of the games seeing at least 5 goals scored that the winning tally in all the games. 2nd placed Cambridge United WFC 3 points behind AFC Wimbledon ladies were on the road on Sunday playing Denham United Ladies. New signing Rosie Kmita strike on 4 minutes found the back of the net to give Cambridge the early lead. It wasn’t to last long as Chantelle Lawrence levelled it up with a long range drive just 3 minutes later. 1-1 the score at the break, Cambridge were to turn it on 2nd half with a dominant display retaking the lead just 2 minutes in as they were awarded a spot kick, captain Laura Bright scoring from the penalty. Nicole Perschky made it 3-1 on the 60th minute. 2 more goals coming in the final 10 minutes Emma Jenkins and Dawn Mallett with the goals.
Luton Town Ladies followed up a 2-1 midweek win at Kenilworth Road under the lights against Milton Keynes Dons Ladies with a convincing win away to Enfield Town Ladies on Sunday to move into 3rd spot in the South East Division One table. Jess McKay opening the scoring in the 1st half, Joanna Rutherford adding 2 more goals before half-time. McKay added another goal to her total in the 2nd half. The final score 5-0 to the visiting side the last goal of the afternoon courtesy of 16 year old Jodie Southby making her 1st start for the club.
I was at North Greenford United FC on Sunday covering the South East Division One game between Actonians Ladies & Norwich City Ladies for the Supporting Women’s Football Blog and I was treated to a 9 goal thriller. Not that you’d have predicted that at half-time as the home side went into the dressing room with a 4-1 lead, came back despite Norwich City taking an early lead, Natasha Snelling lining up a shot from the wing to dip under the bar to take the lead. Carla Williams got Actonians back on level turns putting a 25 yard shot home across the keeper. Sinthujah Sooriyakumar with the held of a deflection into the net off a Norwich City defender gave the home side the lead. On top for a large spell in the 1st half 2 more goals followed, Hannah Olofsson allowed time and space to shoot from outside the area and Katrina Marshalleck with the goals.
Action from Sunday’s game, Melissa Jung on the attack for Actonians Ladies against Norwich City Ladies
A totally different 2nd half Norwich City coming onto Actonians inside there own half fought their way back into the game. Chelsea Garrett pulling it back to 4-2 as the ball is fed into her run into the box. Paige Shorten made it 4-3 over a free kick inside the Actonians half her ball lifted up into the area, skipping up unexpectedly high off the surface to fly up over goalkeeper Naomi Swift and into the back of the net. The comeback complete as Kyla Love comes forwards with the ball for Norwich lets fly from distance her shot in glanced across the six yard box by a defender wrong-footing the goalkeeper and going into the back of the net. The celebrations were shot lived however as Actonians came straight back into it scoring off the restart to regain the lead, the ball into Williams turns and lobs the advancing keeper the ball bouncing into the back of the net beyond, 5-4 the final score Actonians move up to 4th in the table. The whole match report can be viewed by clicking on the link below.
Actonians ladies v Norwich City Ladies 02/10/16
Milton Keynes Dons Ladies climb up to 5th in the table recovering from their midweek loss away to Luton to win at home on Sunday, dump Ipswich Town Ladies out of the top half in the process the Suffolk side making the trip to Newport Pagnell FC at the weekend. Heather McDonnell giving Milton Keynes Dons Ladies the lead on the 22nd minute Leah Cudone doubled the advantage 4 minutes later. Jade Henry pulled a goal back late in the 1st half to close the advantage to 2-1 at half-time. A good start to the 2nd half for the visitors with Roxanne Small on target just 2 minutes into the 2nd half to level thing’s up at 2-2. Ipswich Town Ladies then got themselves into the lead Hollie Clement on target to make it 3-2. The lead didn’t last long Milton Keynes Dons awarded a penalty kick McDonnell stepping up to score her 2nd of the match. Into the last 5 minutes and the home side score again McDonnell completing her hat-trick on the 85th minute, Hannah Barrett added another goal a minute later to see Milton Keynes Dons win 5-3.
Gillingham FC Ladies the other side this weekend to win scoring 5 goals along the way continue their unbeaten start to the season, were at home playing Lowestoft Town Ladies. Felicity Gibbons broke the deadlock for Gillingham scoring on 28 minutes the lead 2-o at half-time thanks to an own goal. Gibbons added her 2nd of the game 2 minutes into the 2nd half. Lowestoft Town pulled a goal back 3 minutes later captain Hannah Waters making it 3-1. Gillingham pulling further into the lead as the game moved into the final 10 minutes 2nd half substitute Kallie Balfour scoring 2 goals on 81 minutes and in injury time to seal a 5-1 victory.